Nothing!

Rom. 8:^35&39 “Can anything separate us from the love of Christ? Can trouble, suffering, and hard times, or hunger and nakedness, or danger and death?… and not powers above or powers below. Nothing in all creation can separate us from God’s love for us in Christ Jesus our Lord! (CEV]

John 9:^30-34 “The man answered, “Here is an astonishing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners, but he does listen to one who worships him and obeys his will. Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a person born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing. They answered him, “You were born entirely in sins, and are you trying to teach us?” And they drove him out.” (NRSV]. Were they not born in sin too? Every human being was born in sin, David says, “…in sin did my mother conceive me.” [Ps.51:5, KJV]. But the Pharisees and the leaders were so arrogant that they felt that they were above the normal human being, they were the learned ones.

John 9:³⁴ “You were born a total sinner!” they answered. “Are you trying to teach us?” And they threw him out of the synagogue.” (emphasis added). The phrase highlighted in this scripture is what the parents were afraid of. His parents knew the implications of his actions and what could happen. They abandoned this man to beg; how do you allow your son that is without sight to go to the streets and beg? Is that even thinkable? When he got his sight back, they saw the risk of being excommunicated, the risk of being sent out by the leading priests. His ex-communication made him a persona non grata, which means an unwelcome person. And from that moment;

#1. He is not allowed into the Synagogues.  This is really bad because at that time, the nation of Israel operated a theocracy and there was a national religion.

#2. His parents and friends will have nothing to do with him. This man, choosing to stick to his testimony of Jesus, will legally not be allowed to see his parents and his friends again except they too want to be excommunicated. That is big.

#3. He cannot do business or get married, or even buy food from any loyal Jew. Obviously, there may have been miscreants that will still sell him some food, or give their daughters to him in marriage. But a real Jew would not even try it after the ex-communication.

John 9:³⁵ “Jesus heard that they had driven him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” (NRSV, emphasis added). Ps.27:¹⁰ “When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up.” (KJV). It is classic; his father and his mother forsook him, but Jesus found him. It does not matter who has forsaken you, Jesus will find you. There is no friend like Jesus – none! Jesus associated with him even though he had been made a persona non grata. For some people, the society does not want to be your friend. it is okay, Jesus wants to be your friend. Think about it; when Jesus is your friend, does it matter who does not want to be your friend? It really does not matter.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, I thank You for loving me and I am convinced that nothing can ever separate me from Your love, in Jesus Name. Amen!